Amulree, Main Street, Carlops

A row of six single-storey, three-bay weavers' cottages, dating from around 1785, forms part of a wider group of buildings which contribute to the character of Carlops. The cottages are constructed of harled rubble stone with freestone dressings, and are primarily limewashed. The three cottages on the right-hand side have gabled timber porches. Later additions and dormers, mostly from the late 20th century, extend from the rear, incorporating a variety of rendered brick, stone, and timber. A canted bay addition is present on the far left. The windows are timber sash and case, featuring a variety of 19th-century traditional glazing patterns. The roofs are covered with grey slate, topped with ridge stacks bearing clay cans. Cast-iron rainwater goods are also present.

Internally, the cottages retain their original layout, characterised by a kitchen and former workroom flanking a through-passage opening directly off the front door. Many partition walls are constructed from solid timber frames with rubble infill. Originally, both ground-floor rooms would have contained box beds and wide lintelled sandstone fireplaces with rounded corbels in the kitchen, though these have since been lost.

The cottages were built around 1784 by Robert Brown, the laird of Newhall, as linear rows of dwellings alongside the main road between Edinburgh and Biggar, intended to house cotton-weavers. Following the decline of the textile industry in the late 19th century, the village evolved into a health resort for visitors from Edinburgh. The linear layout of the settlement, and the cottages in particular, remains a defining element of Carlops's character, which today serves as a base for walkers exploring Pentland Hill. The cottages substantially retain their original scale, massing and traditional window detailing, and are grouped with other nearby buildings including cottages, a church, a hotel, and a row of four cottages, all of which contribute to the village's distinct identity.